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By Cory G. Rice

A significant portion of the piling industry has long felt relying on soil setup to gain the required capacity is a complexity that would rather not be dealt with. Instead, the pile are driven to the required capacity on the initial drive and the potential gain of capacity due to soil setup is simply considered an added bonus or safety factor. There appears to be an attitude that if one did not put in the energy required to develop the full capacity on the initial drive, then one should not expect to gain anything from Mother Nature for free. However, substantial savings in time and materials can be realized by properly accounting for setup. This paper will show the impacts and ramifications this rationale can have on required labor and material costs and illustrate a case history with significant soil setup and the savings realized on a project currently being constructed.

Jan 1, 1992

By Grant D. Nicholas

This paper compares an integrated evaluation approach to decision-making with more traditional sensitivity analysis and Monte Carlo simulation. The primary objective is to highlight the differences in NPV that can arise from using these evaluation methods in a top down and bottom-up approach. Results from three resource scenarios, derived from sampling a "virtual" ore body (reality) on grid spacings of 75m, 50m and 25m, are analyzed and compared.

May 1, 2007

By Bas R. Hemmen

GeoBrain is a facility at GeoDelft with the purpose to provide society with all relevant geo-engineering knowledge and experience in a structured way. On the basis of the available knowledge and experience engineers, decision makers and construction supervisors can come to a fast, reproducible and objective choice, taking into account the consequences. The paper presents examples from the GeoBrain experience databases and forecasting models developed for foundation engineering and directional drilling, or: "GeoBrain Foundations" and "GeoBrain Drilling". GeoBrain is closing the gap between theory and practice. It is aimed directly at reducing uncertainty and the costs of failure, thereby increasing the quality of profession and minimising the risk in geo-engineering works.

Jan 1, 2006

By Antonio De Biase

In October 2006, a 7m Double Shield TBM, boring through very poor volcanic formations, was pushed back by fluid mud, which presence had not been detected during previous field investigations, due to the high covers characterizing the majority of the tunnel axis. The present work describes the investigations made to gain better knowledge of the conditions in front and all around the TBM, the special measures implemented, the exploratory and bypass tunnels excavated, the extraordinary occurrences came true during the execution of these tunnels, the drainage campaigns, the design of the chamber excavated to free the TBM, the dismounting and restarting of the TBM.

Multiple regression analysis was used to predict elemental concentrations of copper and nickel in soils from consideration of the concentration of these elements in vegetation in an ultrabasic complex in New Zealand. Regression equations were computed from sixteen independent variables involving concentrations of ten elements in plant ash, and various physical factors such as slope and altitude of the site, and height of the tree. One elemental and one physical variable were significant for nickel at the 90 per cent level of probability and five elemental and two physical variables were significant for copper at the same level. Use of the regression equations explained 32·5 per cent and 26·5 per cent of the variance in the respective relative accumulations (amount in plant divided by amount in soil) of copper and nickel.Predicted concentrations of copper and nickel in soils agreed more closely with the observed values in the soils than did the levels of these elements in plant ash.Although the results may specifically apply only to the test area, the principles should have universal application.

Jan 1, 1972

By E. Wasmund

"Sandfire’s DeGrussa Copper-Gold operation in West Australia is a new high grade copper sulfide mine, which includes a 1.5 Mtpa concentrator which was completed in 2013.Early after commissioning, it was identified that the flotation capacity in the all-mechanical cleaner circuit was not sufficient. In order to improve recovery, the tail from the cleaner scavenger was sent back to feed the rougher scavengers. Test-work was done on-site to evaluate the possibility of using a flotation column as a pre-cleaner. A CavTube™ sparging system was selected, which is especially effective for fine ore particle flotation. Test-work was conducted at site using a 150 mm diameter unit, and then confirmed on a 500 mm diameter unit. A 4250 mm diameter full scale unit was installed in Q4 2014 and commissioned in Q1 2015. This unit gave some significant advantages including a reduction in re-grinding requirements, elimination of a circulating load and increase in the recovery of copper in the cleaner circuit and overall circuit.In this presentation, the benefits of columns and cavitation sparging for floating fine particles and rejecting fine entrained gangue will be explained. Also, the results from a lab unit and a pilot unit will be compared against the results of the full-scale unit. The paper will demonstrate the scalability of flotation columns, and which phenomena and scale-up criteria must be considered to be successful. Finally, some general observations will be made about the importance of columns in copper cleaning circuits.IntroductionSandfire Resources’ DeGrussa copper-gold concentrator is located approximately 900 km north-north-east of Perth in Western Australia. The project area landscape is scrubby mulga lands with few notable features. The climate is arid with high temperature and heavy summer downpours."

Jan 1, 2016

By Don K. Smith

The Reclamation Program for the Northern Zone of the Indus Plains in West Pakistan involves the construction of 30,000 irrigation wells to serve 20 million acres with an annual pumpage of nearly 40 million acre-ft. Detailed hydrologic studies indicated that mild steel would be satisfactory for casing; however, within two years after construction, about 10% of the wells began to fail due to encrustation and corrosion of the casing. A search to find a noncor-rosive substitute for the steel casing disclosed that only fiberglass-reinforced plastic pipe satisfied all requirements. The results of initial use of fiberglass have been highly satisfactory and have resulted in a lower over-all well cost. Advances in technology pomise further reduction in prices and improvement in performance. The northern zone of the Indus Basin comprises a vast area of essentially level land in West Pakistan which is irrigated by means of a complex system of canals that distribute more water to more land than any other irrigation system in the world. In spite of the development of this extensive irrigation system, production of food and fiber has not met the requirements of the country. The major reasons that crop production has not reached anticipated levels are the lack of adequate irrigation supplies and effective subsurface drainage. As a result, yields per acre are among the lowest in the world for areas where irrigation is practiced, and many thousands of acres of valuable crop land have been removed from production or seriously affected by salinity and waterlogging. To rectify the problems of irrigation supply and drainage the Government of Pakistan has undertaken a program of Salinity Control and Reclamation which is being administered by the Water and Power Development Authority. The Authority retained Tipton and Kalmbach, Inc., of Denver, Colo., as engineers for the program in the northern zone of the Indus Basin. This program consists of the construction of about 30,000 irrigation wells to provide drainage for waterlogged lands and full irrigation supplies, including leaching requirements, for all cultivated lands. The program will ultimately ensure the productivity of 20 million acres and involve an annual pumpage from groundwater storage of nearly 40 million acre-ft of

Jan 1, 1970

Objective To reduce dust generated from soiled floors within enclosed operator cabs. Background Enclosed operator cabs are widely used on mobile excavation equipment in the mining and construction industries. They protect the operator from bad weather, noise, and airborne dusts. The inside cab environment usually must be kept at very low dust concentrations because of quartz dust generated from the excavation of silica-bearing rock. For cabs to be effective in controlling airborne respirable dust, they must have an efficient air filtration system, while providing a positive pressurization of the cab interior. Ideally, the recirculated and exterior makeup air filtration should provide at least 99% capture efficiency for dust particles as small as 0.3-µmaerodynamic diameters. Many of these enclosed cabs use heating units mounted or directed along the floor (see figure 1), which can cause dust entrainment problems. Prior studies by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) of enclosed cabs have shown that these floor heaters can generate notable amounts of dust within the cab enclosure (see Technology News 486). Multiple-shift dust levels measured inside a drill cab increased on average from0.04 mg/m3 during the summer months to 0.68 mg/m3 during the winter months. Additional dust level measurements, made with optical particle counters during a nondrilling time period, verified that dust levels inside the cab increased from 0.03 to 0.26 mg/m3when the floor heater/fan was turned on. Dust levels within the cab also became greater than the ambient air dust levels outside of the cab when the floor heater was turned on during the nondrilling time period. This shows that the floor heater was a notable dust source problem. Cab floors are commonly soiled from operators tracking dirt inside the cab upon entering from the mine or construction site. Interior cab dust levels can be increased by (1) airflow disturbance of the soiled floor or (2) operator disturbance of the soiled floor. Approach During prior NIOSH surveys of surface coal mine drills, several drills with very low cab dust levels (#0.1 mg/m3) were observed to have floor sweeping compound spread out over the cab floor during the working shift. This initial observation led to a more controlled A-B study of the effect of the sweeping compound on the interior cab dust levels. This study involved dust sampling with and without sweeping compound inside the cabs of a bulldozer and two drills. Sweeping compounds commonly use sawdust or cellulose as the main bulk material, with oil or wax added for dust adhesion purposes. Sand is sometimes added to increase bulk density. Sweeping compounds with sand are commonly used to sweep up concrete floors. Those without sand (usually referred to as "gritless") are used to sweep up smooth finished floors. Most of the oils and waxes used for the adhesive ingredient are petroleum-base and can have an irritating odor. People sensitized to petroleum distillates could have allergic reactions to these sweeping compounds. A few companies offer non petroleum-base sweeping compounds, using either a natural oil or chemical additive for dust adhesion. During this study, it was decided that only the gritless sweeping compound (without sand) would be used, eliminating the addition of another potential silica source inside the cab. Since the sweeping compound would be applied on the enclosed cab floor for the duration of the shift, it was decided to use a canola oil-base sweeping compound to eliminate irritating odor from the petroleum-base sweeping compounds. The natural canola oil-base sweeping compound had a slight woody scent. The three pieces of equipment used in this study had notably different cab layouts. The bulldozer had a small cab with vents discharging air-conditioned or heated air from adjustable louvers at operator waist level and floor level. The bulldozer also had a cloth fabric seat and a carpeted floor. Drill A had a large cab with the heat directed from adjustable louvers at operator knee level and the air-conditioned air directed from cabin ceiling louvers. This drill had a vinyl fabric seat and a steel plate floor. Drill B had a small cabin with the heat directed across the floor (see figure 1) and the air-conditioned air directed down from the ceiling. It had a vinyl fabric seat and a worn rubber mat on a steel floor.

May 1, 2001

By M. Gallego, R. Oyarzun, L. Ortega

Evidence of metallogenic activity in an area dominated by Upper Precambrian and Palaeozoic metasediments was partially explained in the 1980s when drilling and a geophysical survey detected hidden intrusions, but questions remained to be answered about the nature of the fluids. Sb mineralisation at El Juncalon vein-type deposit was selected for geological, geochemical and fluid inclusion studies as a model with a relatively simple quartz-stibnite-pyrite paragenesis. Many of the characteristics were those of Chinese-type vein Sb deposits, which can be regarded as atypical of the epithermal type as they are hosted by clastic rocks

Aug 1, 1995

By James L. Weeks

Introduction This paper attempts to summarize some of the major criticisms of drug testing. Eight problems with drug testing are discussed. These are: • It does not measure something employers have a reasonable need to know, • It is a distortion of priorities, • Drug use is not known to be associated with increased risk of occupational injuries, • Drug testing is proposed as a dangerously simplistic solution to poorly conceived problems, • In the absence of safeguards, it is unacceptably inaccurate, • In the absence of treatment commitments and confidentiality protection for persons dependent on drugs, it is an unethical practice of medicine, • Drug testing is an invasion of privacy, and • It will have a negative effect on treatment of persons with drug or alcohol dependencies. Employers' need to know It does not measure something employers have a reasonable need to know. It is reasonable for employers and fellow workers to want to know if workers are functionally impaired (intoxicated) while on the job. Drug testing does not measure impairment. It measures the concentration of drug metabolities in urine or blood. Unlike measurements of blood alcohol concentration (BAC), drug metabolites are not correlated with impairment or intoxication. They indicate only drug use in the one to two weeks before a urine sample. And, in some instances, they indicate chronic use. Impairment caused by drug use, on the other hand, occurs immediately and declines rapidly within hours. Drug metabolites may linger for days afterwards. Drug metabolite concentrations in urine are a function of (Morgan, 1984; Schartz and Hawks, 1985; MMWR, 1983): • the amount and purity of drug consumed before taking the test, • when the drug was consumed, • whether the person was a chronic user, in which case a certain amount of drug metabolites would be stored in body fat and slowly released, • the person's metabolic rate, and • for metabolites in urine, any dilution effects of urine. Only the first two factors has

Jan 11, 1987

I would like to thank The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy for inviting us to share with you some of our experiences in the handling, storage, and transportation of industrial minerals in North America. Cometals, Inc. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Commercial Metals Company, headquartered in Dallas, a public corporation whose shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange. Sales exceed one billion dollars. Cometals, Inc. is located in New York and specializes in marketing of chemicals as well as raw materials used in the manufacture of steel, refractories, abrasives, glass and ceramics. This makes us one of the larger regular shippers of industrial minerals. Many people are aware that industrial minerals need to be viewed and judged on the merits of their chemical and physical characteristics. In addition you are surely aware that close attention must be paid to the economics of these minerals to determine the appropriate value and competitiveness of the minerals or products delivered at the doorsteps of the consuming work. You may, however, not be aware that the handling and transportation of the mineral is of crucial importance, in fact, the transportation and handling costs of industrial minerals frequently are a major component of the value of the ores marketed and, therefore, it is only natural that close attention should be paid to them. Many of the industrial minerals require special handling to assure that the material reaches the consumer without being contaminated and without getting wet. I invite you to accompany me through the various steps involved in "delivering the goods" to the consumer.

Jan 1, 1989

By D Craw

Uplift of the antiformal ranges in Central Otago, New Zealand , has resulted in the progressive evolution of eluvial placer deposits in tectonic sediments on the range flanks and along their margins. The placers are derived from the reworking of fine-grained gold from the auriferous Manuherikia Group fluvial sediments which covered the basement prior to uplift of the ranges. Gold in the tectonic sediments at Matakanui shows a progressive increase in grainsize in successively younger sediments and nuggets in the youngest gravel sequence are up to two orders of magnitude larger than gold grains in the parent alluvial source. Most of the gold in the tectonic sediments is highly irregular in shape, commonly with delicate surface textures which could not have survived fluvial transport and are indicative of authigenic precipitation. Some coarse grains have been rounded by recycling, and further addition of authigenic gold has occurred. Placer gold values result from both physical and chemical enrichment during sedimentary recycling. Continued range uplift and back-thrusting of sediments on to the ranges results in recycling of earlier formed placer sediments. They also result in further enrichment of gold values through the incorporation of additional supplies of the parent alluvial source sediment The host sediments are widespread along the ranges and are not confined to sites of historic mining activity.

Jan 1, 1992

By Douglas D. Campbell, Alan S. Imrie

INTRODUCTION Mica Dam is located on the Columbia River just downstream of the "big bend" of the Columbia, where it leaves the Rocky Mountain Trench and begins to flow southwards, approximately 85 miles north of Revelstoke, B.C. (Fig.l). The dam was built as one of three Columbia River Treaty dams in British Columbia which regulate the flow of the river and provide flood control downstream in Washington and Oregon. In addition, the three Canadian dams make possible greatly increased power generation at existing power plants in the United States and further development along the Columbia and its tributaries in British Columbia. History Mica Dam, constructed during the period 1967 to 1973, is a zoned earthfill embankment 650 feet high, which has 12,000,000 acre feet of live storage and an available head of 550 feet. Power intakes which would serve either a six-unit surface or underground plant were incorporated into the design and construction of the right abutment of the dam (Fig. 2). Prior to 1971 alternative 2500 MW capacity surface and underground powerplant arrangements were studied. Cost estimates for the two alternatives were the same within the limits of estimating procedures. However, it was believed there was a certain continuing risk in locating a surface plant at the toe of a steep canyon wall. Therefore, in 1971 a tentative decision was made to proceed with an underground plant, provided that additional exploration confirmed assumptions of

Jan 1, 1976

The copper and zinc contents of herbarium specimens of 11 of the 12 Australian species of Polycarpaea were determined in order to establish background and anomalous values of potential use in biogeochemical prospecting.Cumulative frequency curves were used to establish appropriate threshold concentrations for six species including the "copper plant"' P spirostylis. Collection localities of Polycarpaea specimens with anomalous copper or copper-and-zinc values are under investigation.

Jan 1, 1978

By R. Cotton

"1. INTRODUCTIONTo say that the environment will be a dominant issue in the 1990' s is an understatement. A world-wide ""green revolution"" is taking place not only with the general public and politicians, but in the boardrooms and plant facilities of corporations around the world. There is probably not a plant manager who has not been requested by his corporation to assist in some way on environmental issues by providing advice and strategy, by dealing with customer or community concerns, by considering environmental matters in transactions, by developing new environmental compliance policies and requirements, and so on.There are, in the author's view, three main challenges for the mining industry in the environmental area in the 1990's. This paper will discuss each in turn. The first challenge is the concept of ""sustainable development"". Whatever the meaning of this much-debated phrase, we are rapidly moving beyond the buzzword, and into the specifics. It will clearly impact on the way we manage our companies, our communities and our personal lives.The second is the challenge of personal liability; particularly for officers, directors, supervisors and managers of the corporation. For example, in Ontario today, a good percentage of prosecutions for pollution offences are against individuals, usually managers and supervisors, in addition to the prosecutions against the corporation itself for the same offence. In all likelihood, prosecutions will increase in number and will increasingly be directed at individuals. A corporate president has already served a jail term for contempt of court related to his corporation's breach of a court order related to sewer by-law offences. Although the case is on appeal, another president has become the first officer in Canada to be sentenced to jail for violation of an environmental protection statute. Other corporate officers and directors have recently been charged with breach of their duty under Ontario's Environmental Protection Act."

Jan 1, 1991

By W. J. Mcgaughey

A crosshole seismic imaging (tomography) experiment has been carried out in an underground mine in order to delineate waste rock within a massive sulphide ore body. Data comprising 1526 travel time measurements were inverted to yield a compressional wave speed image consistent with, and adding to, knowledge of the extent of the waste inclusions. An effective method of resolving travel time discrepancies measured on reversed ray paths is presented.

Jan 1, 1989

In order to deliver a quality shotcrete and concrete product underground for the extensions to the Cullinan Diamond Mine operations it was decided to develop a new, simpler concrete product to meet underground support requirements. The aim was to develop a concrete product that not only reduced costs but also met the performance criteria of the current range of concrete products used on Cullinan Diamond Mine, a 25, 45 and 60 MPa concrete and a fibre reinforced wet shotcrete. The concrete product batching and delivery system was to be from surface as opposed to the current underground batching systems. The operational principle was to include an automated surface batching plant with delivery of the concrete product to a borehole containing suspended pipelines delivering to an underground storage facility from where the product is delivered to the working area by further pumping or agicars. Keywords: concrete, shotcrete, full flow, frictional loss, pipeline transport, positive displacment pump

Jan 1, 2006

By Denis Thibodeau

The selected mining method for the Rodeo lower Zone is slot and slash. Initial design indicated that the stope height should be limited to a maximum of 18 m, thus six levels were needed to extract the ore. Higher stope height in the Rodeo Lower Zone means less development thus less capital required to extract the available reserves. It was proposed to eliminate one level by establishing 30 m and 24 m level intervals. To ensure that no stability problems will be encountered by eliminating one level, a Matthew analysis, based on diamond drill core information, was performed for the Lower Rodeo Ore Body. In addition, comparisons between the rock mass quality of Meikle Main Zone below 1825 L and Meikle East Zone between 1600 L and 1750 L with the rock mass quality of the Lower Rodeo were made

May 1, 2002

By J. J. Forbes

Investigations by the Bureau of Mines and by mining-research departments of European countries have established definitely the value of rock-dusting to prevent or limit the propagation of coal-mine explosions. Its effectiveness in this connection has been demonstrated not only by research but by actual coal-mine explosions in which hundreds of lives have been saved because of its presence. In a general way this paper gives pertinent facts concerning rock-dusting practices in the United States. Information has been obtained from many reliable sources, and various coal-mining companies have furnished data on cost and other details.

Jan 1, 1939

By D. F. Malott

The Michigan Dept. of State Highways makes extensive use of geophysics for subsurface surveying which would be applicable for uses in other fields. Examples of resistivity surveys are given which include a proposed large-volume excavation with suggestions for land use after excavation, subsurface evaluation for engineering design, and a subsurface survey for land appraisal. An example of a combined refraction seismic and resistivity survey is shown where the resistivity is used for outlining the unconsolidated soils, while the seismic method is used to outline bedrock and to evaluate it for rippability. A refraction seismic survey at the bottom of bridge caissons for evaluation of bedrock uniformity and a rehtive aid in assessing rock strength is reported. These past several years have been a period of unprecendented construction and commercial expansion. Vast private manufacturing complexes and government road, power, and office projects are being built or are in planning stages. Nearly everywhere, municipalities are expanding outward and upward. Many towns are developing into cities and many cities are displaying new skylines, and the building boom shows little sign of slowing down.

Jan 1, 1970